SIMULATION AND OPTIMIZATION OF CHEMICAL PROCESSES: A GLOBALIZING SUBJECT IN THE CHEMICAL ENGINEERING DEGREE

A globalizing subject concentrates the majority of the knowledge that the students have obtained during their university education. In the last years of the Chemical Engineering Degree of the University of Castilla-La Mancha, one can find some globalizing subjects in order to apply the concepts obtained in previous years. Some of the most important examples are the subjects Project Engineering or Simulation and Optimization of Chemical Processes. In this latter case, the students should face the development of a mathematical simulator in order to optimize a given chemical process. First of all, an imprecise process is set out so the students should look for the required information to reach its final definition. Next, it is necessary to define the mathematical strategy to carry out the mathematical simulation in both stationary and dynamic processes. Then, the simulator is built and its conclusions can be compared with different commercial simulators such as Aspen HYSYS, Aspen Plus, Promax and so on. The programming of this mathematical simulator allows the students to recognize the effects of various simulation parameters as well as the essential parts of a simulator. Moreover, this project work helps students to know how commercial simulators works. As the final stage, the students should optimize the proposed chemical process using as the main tool their own mathematical simulator.
In conclusion, working together in groups to produce one simulator that reproduces a real chemical process satisfies several of the cooperative learning criteria i.e. positive interdependence, individual accountability, face-to-face interaction and development of interpersonal skills.